[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[September 3, 2004]
[Pages 1863-1870]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks in Moosic, Pennsylvania
September 3, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thank you for 
coming. I appreciate so many people getting up so early. Laura and I are here to ask for the vote. We're here to let 
you know that I understand there's more to do to make this country a 
safer place, a stronger place, and a better place for every American. So 
we're here; we're pleased to be in Lackawanna County in this beautiful 
setting. Thanks for having us.
    Before I begin, I do--I do know you'll join me in offering our 
prayers and best wishes to those in the path of the Hurricane Frances. 
There's been some devastation in the State of Florida. There's likely to 
be more devastation. And so I've ordered Federal teams to be in position 
to help the good people of that State, but the best thing we can do here 
is to offer our prayers.
    Audience member. I can't hear you! [Laughter]
    The President. Maybe it's because I gave--maybe it's because I 
talked too much last night, you know. [Laughter] I enjoyed giving that 
speech last night, and I am so proud that your State made my nomination 
official. And with your help, your State of Pennsylvania will be a 
significant reason we are reelected for 4 more years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Laura set the bar pretty high 
when she gave her speech at the convention. She is--what a great First 
Lady, a wonderful mom, a terrific wife. Listen, I'm going to give you 
some reasons why I think you ought to put me back in, but perhaps the 
most important one of all is so that Laura is First Lady for 4 more 
years.
    I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. He 
doesn't have the longest and prettiest hair in the race. [Laughter] I 
didn't pick him for his hair. I picked him for his judgment, experience, 
and because he can get the job done.
    I appreciate the fact that Senator Arlen Specter is with us today. Put him back in

[[Page 1864]]

for 6 more years in the Senate. Look who is next to him, Rick 
Santorum, United States Senator. Congressman 
Don Sherwood is here as well. I appreciate you 
being here, Congressman--good man.
    Mayor Lou Barletta is with us from 
Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Hey, Lou, fill the potholes. [Laughter] I 
appreciate David Wenzel, the former mayor of 
Scranton, who is with us here today. David, thank you for coming. My 
friend Bill Scranton is with us here. I 
appreciate him coming. I want to thank all the candidates who are here.
    I want to thank my friend Mark Chesnutt. 
He's great, isn't he? Bubba Shot the Jukebox. He's from Beaumont, Texas, 
and I appreciate him lending his talent to come. I hope you enjoy him as 
much as I--I love his music.
    Most of all, I want to thank the grassroots activists who are here, 
the people who put up the signs and make the phone calls and encourage 
people to register to vote. See, I think we have a duty in this country 
to vote. In a free land, we have a duty to vote. And I'm asking you to 
register your friends and neighbors to vote. Register Republicans, 
register independents, register discerning Democrats--like Zell 
Miller of Georgia, he's a discerning Democrat--
and then kind of head them to the poll. And when you get them there, 
remind them that George Bush and Dick Cheney are 
ready to lead this country for 4 more years.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. Now, we're coming down the stretch in this race. We 
got less than 2 months to go. And this is a historic national election. 
It's a time for choosing. It's going to come down to the records we've 
built, the convictions we hold, and the vision that guides us forward. 
Over the next 2 months, I'm looking forward to traveling our country, 
telling people where I intend to lead our country, and telling people 
what I believe.
    I believe every child can learn in America, and then I believe every 
school must teach. That's why we passed important education reform that 
challenges the soft bigotry of low expectations, that says we must 
measure to determine whether a child can read, and if not, correct 
problems early before they're too late; that says that local folks ought 
to be in charge of the schools. It's a plan--we're making good progress 
across this country, and we're not turning back.
    I believe we have a moral responsibility to our seniors. That's why 
I've worked with Republicans and Democrats to strengthen Medicare. Our 
seniors now get help buying medicine, and soon every senior will be able 
to have coverage for prescription drugs. It doesn't make any sense to 
pay $100,000 for heart surgery and not pay for the medicine to prevent 
the heart surgery from happening in the first place. We're making 
progress in honoring our commitment to our seniors, and we're not 
turning back.
    I believe the role of Government is not to try to create wealth but 
an environment in which the entrepreneur, the small business, the 
farmer, and the rancher can survive. I believe in the spirit and 
innovative power of the American worker, and that is why we unleashed 
the energy of our economy with the largest tax relief in decades.
    Because we acted, our economy is growing again. Because we acted, 
we've overcome recession, scandal, stock market decline, and a terrorist 
attack. This morning, we received jobs report for August, and it shows 
that our economy is strong and getting stronger. We added 144,000 new 
jobs, plus revisions of about 60,000 for the previous month, which means 
we've increased jobs over the last 2 months by over 200,000 jobs. 
Overall, we've added about 1.7 million new jobs since August of '03. The 
unemployment rate is now down to 5.4 percent. That's nearly a full point 
below the rate last summer and below the average

[[Page 1865]]

of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is 
5.3 percent. Our growing economy is spreading prosperity and 
opportunity, and nothing will hold us back.
    I will continue to travel our country telling people what I believe, 
and I believe the most solemn duty of the President is to protect the 
American people. If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this 
decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my 
watch.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. I am running for President with a clear and positive 
plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running with 
a compassionate conservative philosophy that says Government should help 
people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. As I travel this 
country, I know that this Nation wants steady, consistent, principled 
leadership, and that is why, with your help, we're going to win 4 more 
years.
    Last night I spent time talking about how the world in which we live 
is changing. Women now work outside the home as well as work inside the 
home. Many people change jobs. It's a changing world, and the role of 
Government is to take the side of our workers and families in a time of 
change. Most of the fundamental systems of today, the Tax Code and 
health coverage and pension plans and worker training, were created for 
the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. I'm running for 4 more years to 
change those fundamental systems so more Americans can realize the great 
promise of our country.
    My plan begins--any good plan begins with making sure our economy 
continues to grow. The global market is expanding and creating new 
markets and new competition. My view is, to create more jobs here in 
America, this has got to be the best place in the world to do business. 
That's why we will expand trade in a fair way. Look, we open up our 
markets, and it's good for you that we do. See, if you have more 
choices, you're likely to get a product you want at a better price and 
higher quality. What I'm saying when it comes to trade to other 
countries is you treat us the way we treat you. We can compete with 
anybody, anywhere, anytime, so long as the playing field is level.
    But we've got to get rid of these junk lawsuits that threaten our 
small-business owners. We've got to trim back needless regulations that 
make it hard for people to employ people. In order to make sure that the 
economy expands, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money, and 
we've got to keep your taxes low.
    We have a difference in this campaign on low taxes. I'm running 
against a fellow who has promised over $2 
trillion of new spending so far.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Yes. And we're just coming down the stretch. By the 
way, 2 trillion is a lot of money to promise, even for a Senator from 
Massachusetts. And now they said--so they asked him, ``How are you going to pay for it?'' And he said, 
``Well, I'll pay for it all by taxing the rich.'' Two things wrong with 
that: One is you can't raise enough money by so-called taxing the rich 
to pay for his promises, which means somebody else is going to get stuck 
with the bill. But the other thing is, you've heard that rhetoric 
before, haven't you?
    Audience members. Yes!
    The President. Yes, tax the rich. You know what that means. They 
dodge; you pay. But we're not going to let him, 
because we're going to win in November.
    A drag in our economy is the Federal Tax Code, which is a 
complicated mess. You know, it is filled with special interest 
loopholes. Our people spend 6 billion hours of paperwork and headache 
every year. The American people deserve and our economic future depends 
on a simpler, fairer, progrowth Tax Code. In a second term, I will lead 
a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the Federal taxes.

[[Page 1866]]

    I'll tell you what else we need to do. We need to help our workers 
train for the new jobs of the 21st century. In a changing world, the 
jobs change, and oftentimes, there's a skills gap. And so we're going to 
make sure our community college system works better for our workers. 
We're going to provide more money to help workers gain the skills 
necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
    Most new jobs are filled by people with at least 2 years of college, 
and yet only about one in four of our students gets there. And so in our 
high schools, we'll fund early intervention programs to help students at 
risk. We will place a new focus on math and science. Over time, we will 
require exit exams from high school because we want the high school 
diploma to mean something. By raising performance in the high schools 
and by expanding Pell grants for low- and middle-income families, we 
will help more Americans start their career with a college diploma.
    There's more to do to make sure quality health care is available and 
affordable. More than one half of the uninsured in America are small-
business employees and their families. In order to make sure small 
businesses can afford health care, we must allow small firms to join 
together to purchase insurance at the discounts available to big 
companies.
    We will help small businesses and low-income Americans set up and 
purchase health savings accounts. In a new term, I will ensure that 
every poor county in America has got community health centers to make 
sure that people get preventative and primary care, not in the emergency 
rooms of America but in these clinics for low-income Americans. In all 
we do, we'll make sure that the health decisions are made by doctors and 
patient, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
    I want to talk about a national issue that is of concern to millions 
here in Pennsylvania. Too many good doctors, too many really fine 
healers are being forced out of practice because of the high cost of 
junk lawsuits. You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-
plaintiff-attorney at the same time. You have to choose. My 
opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. I made my choice. I'm standing with the docs and 
patients. We want medical liability reform--now.
    Let me give you a quick story about what I'm talking about. I'm 
telling you, this is a national problem that requires a national 
solution. And there is a clear difference in this campaign on this 
issue. Today I met with Dr. Neal Davis from 
Carbondale. [Applause] He told all his patients to come--[laughter]--and 
Mary Coar, one of his patients. I want you to hear 
this story because it's happening all across America.
    Last November, after 15 years of practice in Pennsylvania, Dr. 
Davis learned that his insurance company would no 
longer insure physicians in this State because of the junk lawsuits, 
because the law system here in terms of medicine is like a lottery, is 
what it's like. It's unfair to patients, and it's unfair to doctors. 
It's unfair to taxpayers. He found a new policy, but it said he had to 
give up delivering babies as part of the coverage. That's what's 
happening to ob-gyns all across the country.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. That forced Mary, 4 months 
pregnant, to start driving 50 miles each way to see different doctors--a 
different doctor. When Mary's daughter arrived this summer, she was 
delivered by a doctor Mary had never met. She said, ``I started to cry 
when he told me he was going to have to stop delivering.'' This is 
happening because the legal system is gone awry. We need medical 
liability reform now.
    Another priority for my administration in a new term will be an 
ownership society. See, I believe when you own something, your life is 
more secure; you have more dignity; and you have independence. And

[[Page 1867]]

so we'll help more people own their own homes, own their own health 
plan, and gain the confidence of owning a piece of their retirement. 
There's nothing better in America than somebody opening their door 
saying, ``Welcome to my home.'' Today, the homeownership rate in America 
is at an alltime high. We will expand more homeownership over the next 4 
years.
    Listen, we will keep the promise of Social Security for baby boomers 
and older--I happen to be a baby boomer. But younger workers need to 
worry about the fiscal solvency of Social Security. We will strengthen 
Social Security by allowing younger workers to save some of their taxes 
in a personal account, an account they can call their own, and an 
account that Government can never take away.
    In a world of change, there are some things that won't change, the 
values we try to live by, the institutions that give our lives meaning 
and purpose. Because family and work are sources of stability and 
dignity, I support welfare reform that strengthen family and require 
work.
    I support a culture of life in which every person matters and every 
person counts. Because religious charities provide a safety net of mercy 
and compassion, our Government must never discriminate against those 
programs. I support marriage and family, which are the foundations of 
our society. And I will continue to appoint Federal judges who know the 
difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the 
law.
    When he was campaigning out--I think it was in the Midwest, my 
opponent announced he was the candidate of 
``conservative values.''
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Which must have confused a lot of his supporters. [Laughter] See, if you say you're--if you 
say that the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood, I'm not--
I'm afraid you're not the candidate of conservative values. If you voted 
against a bipartisan Defense of Marriage Act, which my 
predecessor signed, you are not the 
candidate of conservative values. If you consistently vote against the 
rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment as my opponent has, you are 
not the candidate of conservative values. There is a clear difference of 
philosophy in this race. He is for expanding 
Government. I am for expanding opportunity.
    This election will also determine how America responds to the 
continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of September 
the 11th, we have fought the terrorists across the globe, not for pride, 
not for power--because the security of our country depends on it. Our 
strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. I want to thank you for 
helping raise Tom Ridge. He's doing a fine job in the Department of 
Homeland Security. We're transforming our military. We're reforming our 
intelligence services. We will stay on the offensive. We will strike the 
terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. And we 
will continue to work to advance liberty--liberty in the broader Middle 
East--because freedom will bring a future of hope and the peace we all 
want. If America stays strong and resolute and determined, we will 
prevail.
    And our strategy is succeeding. We're making progress. Four years 
ago, Afghanistan was the home base of Al Qaida. Pakistan was a transit 
point for the terrorist groups. Saudi was fertile ground for terrorist 
fundraising. Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Iraq was a 
gathering threat, and Al Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned 
attacks. Now, after we acted, now after the United States led--and many 
have joined--the Government of a free Afghanistan is fighting terror. 
Pakistan is capturing terrorists. Saudi Arabia is making raids and 
arrests. Libya is dismantling its weapons programs. The army of a free 
Iraq is fighting for freedom, and more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's 
members and associates have been detained or killed.

[[Page 1868]]

    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

[At this point, an audience member fainted.]

    The President. Get another doc. Get a doctor.
    This progress involves careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and 
some tough decisions. The toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam 
Hussein's record of aggression and support 
for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing, even using weapons of 
mass destruction. And we know that September the 11th requires our 
country to think differently. We must confront threats before they fully 
materialize. In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. Members of both 
political parties looked at the same intelligence, remembered the same 
history, and came to the same conclusion. Saddam Hussein was a threat. 
My opponent, in 2002, looked at the very same 
intelligence I looked at, and he came the same conclusion. See, he was 
one of the Members of Congress that voted to authorize the use of force 
because Saddam Hussein was a threat.
    The last option for the Commander in Chief is to commit troops, and 
so I went to the United Nations. See, I believe we ought to try 
diplomacy before we commit troops. The United Nations passed a unanimous 
resolution demanding that Saddam Hussein 
disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. The free world spoke 
loud and clear. Yet Saddam Hussein, as he had for over a decade of 
diplomacy, ignored the demands of the free world. As a matter of fact, 
when we sent inspectors--or when the U.N. sent inspectors in, he 
systematically deceived the inspectors.
    We gave Saddam Hussein a final chance to 
meet his responsibility to the civilized world. And when he refused, I 
faced the kind of decision that comes only to the Oval Office, a 
decision no President would ask for but must be prepared to make. Do I 
trust the word of a madman and forget the lessons of September the 11th, 
or take action to defend America? Given that choice, I will defend 
America every time.
    Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
    The President. America and the world are safer with Saddam 
Hussein sitting in a prison cell. Because we 
acted to defend our country, the murderous regimes of Saddam and the 
Taliban are history. More than 50 million people now live in freedom.
    Democracy is on the march in a part of the world that is desperate 
for freedom. You realize that over 10 million citizens have registered 
to vote in the upcoming Afghan Presidential elections. It's amazing, 
isn't it? Think about what life was like 3 years ago for the people of 
that country. They were run by a group of barbarians, and today, they're 
showing up in the thousands to exercise their right as free men and 
women.
    In Iraq, there's a strong leader; there's a national council; and 
elections in that country are scheduled in January. See, our Nation is 
standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq because when America 
gives its word, America must keep its word.
    But as importantly, we're serving a vital and historic cause that 
will make our country safer. See, free societies do not export terror. 
Free societies do not feed the resentment of their people. Free 
governments will fight terrorists, instead of harboring them, and that 
helps keep America more secure and the world more peaceful. Our mission 
and goals in Afghanistan and Iraq are clear: We will help new leaders 
train their armies so the Iraq and the Afghan people can defend the 
freedom within their borders. We will get them on the path of stability 
and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return 
home with the honor they have earned.
    At bases across the country, I've had the privilege of meeting with 
those who defend our country. I've seen their decency and unselfish 
courage. I assure you, the cause of freedom is in really good hands. I 
am

[[Page 1869]]

proud of our military. They deserve--and I want to thank the vets who 
are here today for having set such a great example for those who wear 
our uniform.
    I made a commitment to our troops and their loved ones, they'll have 
all the resources they need to do their jobs. That's why I submitted a 
supplemental funding request to the Congress last September for $87 
billion, money needed for fuel and spare parts and body armor and 
equipment, ammunition, hazard pay, health benefits, to support our 
troops in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, see. And that proposal 
received bipartisan support, strong bipartisan support, except for 12 
Members from the United States Senate who voted against the funding.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. As a matter of fact, only four United States Senators 
voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against the funding 
for our troops.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. Two of those four are my runningmate and his opponent.
    Audience members. Boo-o-o!
    The President. So they asked him how could he 
have done that. He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion, 
before I voted against it.'' Now, we've got some motorcycle drivers 
here? [Applause] Yes. I suspect you guys don't talk that way. They 
pressed him further, he said he was proud of his vote, and then he just 
said, ``The whole thing was a complicated matter''--his words. Here are 
my words: There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in 
combat.
    We'll continue to work with nations around the world. We have some 
40 nations in Afghanistan, nearly 30 in Iraq. These are strong, fine 
allies, who are making the same sacrifices we are to send their troops 
to secure the world and make the world more free. During the next 4 
years, I'll continue to build alliances and work with our friends. But I 
will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of 
other countries.
    I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use 
of American strength is to advance freedom. I believe that America is 
called to lead the cause of freedom. You know, I spend time with Prime 
Minister Koizumi of Japan. He's a friend. 
Not all that long ago, though, his country was at war with us. Matter of 
fact, my dad, I'm sure your dad or granddad 
fought a bloody war against the Japanese. But because my predecessor 
Harry Truman and others believed in the power of liberty to transform 
lives and nations, after World War II, we worked with Japan to develop a 
democracy, and today I sit down at the same table with Prime Minister 
Koizumi to discuss the peace.
    Liberty can change nations from enemies to friends. Liberty will 
change--liberty will help transform Iraq from tyranny to a free and just 
society. Some day an American leader will be sitting down at the table 
with an elected Iraqi leader, saying thank goodness this generation of 
Americans had great faith in the value of liberty, and they will be 
discussing the peace. I believe this because I know that freedom is not 
America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each 
man and woman in this world.
    With the right leadership, this young century will be liberty's 
century. It will be a century of freedom. By promoting freedom at home 
and abroad, we will build a safer world and a more hopeful America.
    For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart. See, 
there are quiet times in the life of nation when little is expected of 
its leader. This is not one of those times. This is times where we need 
firm resolve and great faith in the values that make us a wonderful 
country.
    None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another 
began. As I mentioned last night, I stood in the ruins of the Twin 
Towers on September

[[Page 1870]]

the 14th, 2001. It's a day I will never forget. There were workers in 
hardhats there, yelling at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it 
takes.'' I was thanking--I was trying to thank people as best as I 
possibly could. I guy grabbed me by the arm. He looked me in the eye, 
and he said, ``Do not let me down.'' Every day I wake up thinking about 
how better to protect America. I will never relent in defending our 
country, whatever it takes.
    I am so proud so many came out today. Laura 
and I thank you for coming. When I traveled your State 4 years ago, I 
made this pledge, that if you honored me with the great responsibility 
of serving the American people, I would uphold the dignity and the honor 
of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, with your 
hard work, we will do so for the next 4 years.
    God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 9:35 a.m. at Lackawanna 
County Stadium. In his remarks, he referred to former Lt. Gov. Bill 
Scranton of Pennsylvania; entertainer Mark Chesnutt; and Prime Minister 
Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government. The transcript released by 
the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the First 
Lady, who introduced the President.